ESPN Softly Sacks Theismann From `MNF'

Mar 26, 08:10 PM

Current Headlines: Lawrence Taylor gave Joe Theismann a painful exit from the NFL.

ESPN tried to give Theismann a much more comforting sendoff after announcing that fellow analyst Ron Jaworski would replace him on "Monday Night Football."

ESPN Executive Vice President Norby Williamson said Theismann "did a phenomenal job for us," adding that the network had offered him a prominent football role, likely calling college games.

Williamson even tried to dismiss the obvious chemistry problems between Theismann and rookie analyst Tony Kornheiser, saying: "Chemistry is just a term that's thrown around. Defining chemistry is a difficult thing."

But it was easy to sense that the Theismann-Kornheiser combo didn't work. At times they seemed to be competing with one another.

Enter Jaworski, who has regularly appeared on Kornheiser's radio show and "Pardon the Interruption," which Kornheiser co-hosts with Michael Wilbon.

"Tony and I have been friends for over a decade," Jaworski said. "We've spent a lot of time talking about our kids. Last year we broke down a coaches' tape at NFL Films. It's been a wonderful relationship, and now the stage is bigger and brighter. People will see how well we do get along."

Jaworski, who goes by "Jaws," joined ESPN in 1990 after 17 years as an NFL quarterback. While serving as a studio host and game analyst, he developed a knack for breaking down film in a way viewers can understand.

"I'm an X's and O's guy," he said. "I love the strategy of the game. I love to talk to coaches and to have that tape in front of me as they tell me what their strategy was. My focus will be to tell people why a play worked, why it didn't work, why a team won and why a team didn't win."

Jaworski said becoming the "MNF" analyst had been his goal, but that replacing Theismann made it "bittersweet."

"Joe Theismann is an incredibly talented guy," he said. "We've been friends for almost three decades. I will talk to Joe, and we will remain friends."

"MNF" play-by-play announcer Mike Tirico shot down rumors that Theismann and Kornheiser clashed off the set.

"There was not one off-air moment of tension between them during the year," Tirico said in a telephone interview. "I saw them eat meals together and play golf together a couple of times. Those who choose to portray that they didn't get along together, that's inaccurate."

Tirico said he was "completely split" over the move_disappointed to lose Theismann but thrilled with Jaworski's promotion.

"There's a reason ("MNF") was the only NFL show that was nominated for an Emmy," he said. "It was pretty darn good. But if management feels this is the next step to make it better, we'll take it and run with it."

SWALLOW THAT WHISTLE

CBS analyst Billy Packer said he was "really frosted" that he had come under criticism for defending the referees' decision not to call a travel on Georgetown's Jeff Green before his game-winning shot against Vanderbilt.

Packer also said he had discussed the play with NCAA men's basketball officiating coordinator Hank Nichols, who agreed it was not a violation.

CBS studio analysts Clark Kellogg and Seth Davis insisted Saturday that Green had traveled. Kellogg stood by his opinion Monday_sort of.

"I still think he walked," Kellogg said. "But it shouldn't have been called. ... As a broadcaster and a fan, I would much rather see a player decide the outcome of a game, especially if it's questionable."

Packer said during an interview on Mike North's WSCR-AM morning show: "(Jim) Nantz and I are 40 feet from the play, and yet we have two guys in the studio saying it's a walk.

"Now the credibility on my side turns out to be the three referees, the coach (Vanderbilt's Kevin Stallings) from the team most affected, (former Georgetown coach) John Thompson, who has coached more big men of significance than anyone in college basketball history, the head supervisor of officials, and on the other side of the table is Seth Davis?

"How do I become the contrarian in the situation? But I like when people have fun with me. But let's not confuse having fun with the rules of the game."

THE ENTH DEGREE

The fantasy sports community can be divided in two.

There are those (of us) who are content to pick up a preview magazine on the eve of their draft, hijack the rankings and pray that they pan out. Then there are the purists who wouldn't dare trust some stranger to put a value on their players.

Those in the second group should check out enth.com, which bills itself as a "next-generation" search engine. Whereas Google links to pages with information, enth creates new content after a search request.

So how does that apply to rotisserie baseball? Say you're trying to decide whether to draft Sammy Sosa. Type in "Sammy Sosa OPS year," and you'll notice a trend. Sosa's combined on-base and slugging percentage_which some regard as the best measure of a hitter_has tumbled every year since 2001.

There's also a feature that could be helpful in the later rounds. Say you need a second baseman, and you're light on stolen bases. Depending on your league's position eligibility requirements, you could search this: "Who had the most stolen bases in 2006 with at least 20 games played at 2B."

Hey, the Cubs' Ryan Theriot might be worth a play.

Enth.com launched in January as a database tool for businesses seeking easy access to sales figures. But the owners quickly realized the software could be applied to sports, where fans might seek it out for fantasy or wagering tips.

That's where Greg Smith came in. A 1993 graduate of Northwestern's Kellogg School of Management and part-owner of the Schaumburg Flyers, Smith is an entrepreneur in Baltimore who heads the company's business development.

Smith said of the company's recent partnership with Morton Grove-based STATS Inc.: "We've, in essence, taken the bible and given people a way to read it."

Next up for enth: Breaking out its data by month and opponent. So you can get confirmation that Jim Thome is a slow starter.

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